Flasher



Patented June 19, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLASHER Henry R. Gross, Chicago, Ill.

Application September 16, 1942, Serial No. 458,527

12 Claims.

A and an electric circuit in which said flasher is adapted to be inserted to alter periodically the current supplied to a light source or other signal device associated therewith so that it may be caused to flash or flicker.

Prior flashers have not been entirely satisfactory because relatively fragile; sensitive to variations in temperature or other atmospheric conditions; diilicult to manufacture; of relatively high loss or breakage in manufacture; uncertain in operation; inconstant in periodicity of operation, slow in starting; and relatively high in cost. It is, accordingly, an important object of the invention to provide a flasher device of the character described which is rugged; not affected by variations in temperature or other atmospheric conditions; simple to manufacture; capable of manufacture with minimum loss and breakage; certain in operation; constant in periodicity of operation; quick starting under all conditions; and of relatively low cost.

Prior electromechanical, periodic or flasher switches of the buckle blade and toggle switch types have not proven entirely satisfactory because they tend to stick between the instant that the circuit to the electric actuator is changed and the mechanical operator passes through its midposition in one direction or the other. It is accordingly a further object of the invention to provide an electromechanical switch operating flasher device wherein the switch operating mechanism 1 completes its movement prior to the effecting of a. change in the circuit of the electric actuator which actuates that switch operating mechanism,

A further object of the invention is to provide a flasher device of the above stated character wherein the periodicity of flashing may be accurately and readily determined or adjusted in the manufacture and use thereof.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a flasher embodying the structure of the invention with the cover thereof being removed.

Figure 2 is a view in vertical section taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a view in vertical section taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view in vertical section taken sub.- stentially along the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a diagram of a circuit embodying the invention and adapted for incorporation therein of the devices shown in Figures 1 t0 4.

Heretofore various types of periodic electric switches or flashers have been developed. The more rugged of these devices have been unsatisfactory because of their slowness of action. Various suggestions have been made to improve the speed of action, but with the consequent disadvantages heretofore stated. Known thermo-responsive flasher devices which have operated sufficiently rapidly are particularly sensitive to variations in temperature or other atmospheric conditions which in all cases cause a marked decrease in their rapidity of action and in some cases render the device completely inoperative. A marked decrease in the rapidity of action of a flasher device with changes in temperature or other weather conditions creates grave danger where the device is used to operate the turn signals of an automobile, for, as frequently occurs, due to such decrease in the speed of action of the flasher no turn signal whatsoever is given before the turn is made or begun. Bimetallic strips or other thermo-responsive blades which have been developed for use in such devices are, generally speaking, too slow in action, as are also thermo-expansible wires of appreciable diameter. Thermo-expansible wires of sufficiently small diameter, i. e. approximately .007 of an inch, which are sufllciently rapid in action under the most favorable conditions are unsatisfactorily fragile and highly sensitive to changes in ambient temperature or variations in other atmospheric conditions, and become, under any but the most favorable conditions, too slow in action. This invention contemplates the production of a device rugged in all its parts, insensitive to changes in temperature or other atmospheric conditions, and adapted to function quickly and with constant periodicity.

As shown in the drawing, the flasher 2 comprises a base support or mounting bracket 4 and a cover or housing, not shown, which may be secured in any convenient manner to the bracket 4. The bracket 4 is preferably formed to provide a supporting flange 6 for a solenoid 8 and a flange I0 at right angles to the flange 6 for supporting a relay i2 and an auxiliary switch I4. The solenoid 8 preferably comprises a coil i6 of relatively'ilne wire mounted upon a metal tube I8 of nonmagnetic or diamagnetic material, preferably brass. The coil I6 is positioned between the legs 20 and 22 of a magnetic core member 24, the leg 22 being apertured to receive the tube i8.

The tube I8 is secured to the core legs 20 and 22 in any convenient manner, as by brazing, soldering, welding or by clamps or other fastening devices, in a manner to prevent movement oi the tube relative to the coil member. 'I'he movable core of the solenoid comprises a hollow rod or tube 26, preferably of steel or other magnetic material, and slidably mounted in the tube I8. A coil spring 28 is housed in the tube I8 and is interposed between the inner wall surface of the leg 20 of the stationary core member and the closed end 30 of the hollow movable core member 26. The movable core member being hollow permits the mounting of the device in any position, i. e., vertical or horizontal, without aiiecting its operation or the speed thereof. 1

A switch operating rod 32 is welded, soldered or otherwise fastened to the closed end 30 of the movable core member 26 and extends outwardly of the tube I8 through an elongated slot 34 extending longitudinally of the latter tube. A roller or hardened collar 36 may be secured to the rod 32 to engage the Walls of the slot 34 to facilitate free sliding movement of the rod along the walls of the guiding slot 34. Outward movement of the movable core member is limited by the engagement of the roller 36, or the rod 32, or the end oi the member 26, depending upon the manner in which the switch operating rod is secured to said member, with the closed end 38 of the stationary tube I8. Y

The relay I2 may comprise a coil 40 of relatively large wire as compared with the wire of the coil I6, and hence of relatively low resistance as compared with the resistance of the wire forming the coil I,6. This coil may be mounted on a suitable stationary iron core, if desired, and secured between upper and lower mounting and insulating blocks 42 fastened to the flange I0 of the supporting bracket. The spring blade 44 forming the armature of the relay I2 carries a contact 46 normally urged by the resilience of the armature blade out of engagement with the like stationary contact 48 secured to the lower mounting block 42 of the relay while the armature blade 44 secured to the upper mounting block 42. The auxiliary switch I4 may comprise a spring blade 50 carrying intermediate its ends a contact 52 which is adapted to mate with and normally engage a contact 54 secured to the lower end of a contact blade 56. The switch blades 50 and 56 are fastened as by screw 58 to a mounting block 60 fastened in a convenient manner to the flange I of the supporting bracket and with an insulating spacer 62 between the upper ends of the blades.

The switch operating rod 32 moves between the armature 44 of the relay I2 and the spring blade 58 of the auxiliary switch I4, the armature blade 44, when moved to cause the contacts 46 and 48 to engage, limiting the inward movement of the switch operating rod. The closed end or cover 30 of the hollow, movable core member or tube 26 is provided with one or more fine openings or apertures 64 through which air in the tube I8 is allowed to pass through the end of cover 30 and thereby determine the rate of movement of the tube 26 and consequently the periodicity of closure of the relay switch and the opening of the auxiliary switch 50.

It will be evident that when the solenoid coil I6 is energized its movable core member or tube 26 will be moved inwardly and will compress the spring 28 until the switch operating rod 32, having engaged the blade 44 of the relay, closes the contacts 46 and 48 and thereby stops the movement of the tube. When the coil I8 is deenergized then the spring 28 forces the movable core member or tube 26 outwardly against the force of the air within the tube I8 and until the switch operating rod 62 having engaged the end of the switch blade 50 below the contact 42 has moved the contact 52 out of engagement with the contact 54 and the roller 68, rod 82 or end 88 of the member 28 has engaged the end I6 ot the tube I8. Although the tube I8 is partially open by virtue of the slot 64 the air within the tube regulates and determines the speed of movement of the movable core member 26-this regulating action oi' the air as it is trapped between the member 28 and the right, closed end of the tube I8, being aided, as the member 26 moves inwardly. by the retarding action of the spring 28.

The flasher device 2 may be incorporated in the turn signal circuit of an automobile as shown in Figure 5. A battery or other source 88 of electric energy is connected to the terminal 86 o! the flasher device 2 which terminal is connected by wire 10 to one end of the solenoid coil I6, the other end of the coil being connected as by wire 12 to the terminal 14 of the asher device. This terminal 14 may be connected by the wire 16 to the movable blade 10 of the turn signal switch 80, having xed contacts 82 and 84. The contact 82 may be connected by the wire 88 and wires 88 and 80 in parallel to the front and rear left turn signal lights 82 and 84, respectively. As is the usual custom, the battery 88 may be grounded as at 86 and the signal lights 82 and 84 may be grounded as at 98 and |08, respectively. The contact 84 is similarly connected by a wire |02 and wires |04 and |06 in parallel to the front and rear right turn signal lights |08 and IIO, respectively, which are also grounded as at |I2 and II4, respectively.

The switch blade 50 of the auxiliary switch I4, and of course the contact 52 carried thereby, are connected by the wire I I6 and the wire 10 and the terminal 68 to the positive side'of the battery 68 .while the contact 54 of that switch is connected by the wire I I6 to the nxed contact 48 of the relay switch. The armature 44. and of course the contact 46 carried thereby, are connected by the wire |20 to one end of the coil 40 of the relay I2, while the other end of the relay is connected directly to the terminal 14 and hence to the movable blade of the turn signal control switch 60. The relay I2 may, for the purpose of controlling an auxiliary circuit such as the pilot lamp |22, be provided with a. pair of back contacts |24 and |26, the contact |26 being carried by the movable switch blade and armature |28 which when the relay is energized is moved to bring the contacts into engagement and connect through the wires |30 and |32 the terminal |34 of the flasher device to the terminal 14. The wire |36 may connect the terminal |34 to the pilot lamp |22 which is grounded as at |38.

The operation of the device is as follows. Upon movement of the turn signal control switch blade 18 into engagement with one oi the other of the fixed contacts oi this switch a circuit will be completed from the source or battery 88 to terminal 68, wire 10, solenoid coil I6, wire 12, terminal 14, wire 18, switch blade 18, contact 82, wire 86, and wires 88 and 80 to the front and rear left turn signal lights 82 and 84. The solenoid coil I6 is of such relatively high resistance that the current flowing through this circuit to the signal lights is insufllcient to i'ully energize same to the point of full incandescence or illumination.

The coil I6 upon being energized attracts its movable core member 26 inwardly, compressing the coil spring 28 and moving the switch operating rod from the auxiliary switch I4 toward the blade 44 of the relay switch. As the operating rod moves away from the blade 50 of the switch I4 the resilience of the blade forces the contact 52 into engagement with the fixed contact 54 and completes the circuit from the source through the terminal 68, wires I6 and II6, blade 50, contacts 62 and 64, blade 66 and wire H8. When the operating rod 32 engages the blade 44 it moves it to the right, as seen in Figures 1, 4, and 5, sumciently to cause the contact 46 to engage the contact 46 and complete the circuit from the now live contact 48 through the contact 46, the blade 44 and the relay 40 to the terminal 14 in shunt to the solenoid coil I6. The coil 40 of the relay I2 is of relatively low resistance and hence sufilcient current now flows through the relay coil 40 to the terminal 14 and through the circuit as previously described from this terminal to the left turn signal lights 92 and 94 to energize the signal lights, Because of this shunt circuit the current through the solenoid coil I6 is decreased to the point that the solenoid is unable to hold its movable core member or tube 26 against the action of the compressed spring 28 and hence the core member 26 moves outwardly, or to the left, as

seen in Figures l, 4 and 5, and the blade 44 is released by the operating rod 32. Its contact 46 nevertheless remains in engagement with the contact 48 because the blade is held in that position by the magnetic action of the relay coil 40. When the operating rod 32 engages the blade 50 and moves its contact 52 out of engagement with the companion contact 54 the circuit through the relay and the signal lights is immediately broken, thereby decreasing the current supplied to the signal lights to that value of current which may flow through the coil I6 in series with the signal lights. When the shunt circuit through the relay coil 46 is broken the current through the solenoid coil I6 of course increases suiiiciently so that the solenoid may again attract its movable core member 26 inwardly, thus initiating a repetition of the cycle just described.

It will be evident, of course, that when the switch blade 'I8 of the turn signal control switch 80 is moved into engagement with the fixed contact 84 similar circuits will be completed through the iiasher device to the front and rear right turn signal lights 2 and ||4, respectively.

Whenever the relay coil 40 is energized it operates the contacts |24 and |26 into engagement and completes the circuit through the relay coil to the pilot light |22 and whenever the coil is deenergized those contacts are moved out of engagement by the resilience of the contact blade |28 to break the circuit to the pilot light. The pilot light |22 thus operates or flashes synchronously whenever either set of turn signal lights is energized.

If one lamp of either set of turn signal lights burns out, the resistance in the circuit to that set of lights is increased and this decreases the current flowing through the solenoid coil I6 and the core member 26 therefore moves at a much reduced rate. This is evidenced by the slower flashing of the pilot light |22 which thus provides an indication to the operator that one of the lamps in that set of turn signal lights has burned out. If both lamps of either set of signal lights burn out, then no current will iiow through the coil I6 nor through the relay coil 40, and hence 75 the pilot light will remain dark thus indicating to the operator that both signal lights of that set are -burnt out.

If a partial short circuit occurs in either se of signal lights, the current flowing through the solenoid will be increased, thus causing operation oi the flasher at an increased speed, which will be evident by the more. rapid flashing of the pilotl light |22, thus apprising the operator oi this fact. If a total short circuit occurs in either set then a fuse or other circuit breaker, which in accordance with the conventional practice may be inserted at any desired point, as for example, in the wire 16 or in the wire from the battery to the terminal 66 will break the signal circuit and prevent damage to the elements thereof. The speed at which the ilasher operates to flash the lights may be determined or adjusted in the manufacture thereof by the size and number of small openings 64 in the closed end or cover 36 of the movable core member or armature 26 of the solenoid I6. It has been found, for example, that if the openings 64 are 1/64 of an inch in diameter each opening eiects variations oi' 12 ilashes per minute in the operation of the device. This will of course vary with the size and dimensions of the solenoid 6 and the parts thereof, including the tube I8 and the hollow armature 26, but it will be found that for any given dimensioning of these parts the speed of ilashing will vary directly as the number of openings and also vary proportionately, within limits, but not necessarily directly, with the size of the openings.

It is thought that the invention and numerous of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing illustrative description and it is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement oi the several parts without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its attendant advantages, the form herein described being a preferred embodiment for the purpose of illustrating the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, in combination a plurality of electrical circuits one of which comprises a source of electrical energy, a pair of switches and a relay, a second circuit comprising a solenoid shunted by the portion of said iirst circuit including said switches and said relay when said switches are closed, a switch operator movable between said switches under the control of said solenoid to close the same in sequence to complete the first circuit and shunt the second circuit and movable in the opposite direction to effect the opening of said switches whereby the second circuit is energized and the iirst circuit is broken, and means for eilecting substantially simultaneous opening of said switches by the operator when the latter is moved in said opposite direction.

2. In a flasher device, switch means, an electrically energizable actuator for said switch means, said switch means being in circuit with said electric actuator to deenerglze said electric actuator when said switch means is closed, and a mechanical actuator for said switch means controlled by said electric actuator and operable upon completion of its movement during deenergization of said electric actuator to open said switch means to reenergize the electric actuator.

3. In a flasher device, an electric actuator, switch means having a plurality o! positions including an open position and a closed position,

said actuator being energized when said switch means is open and deenergized when said switch means is closed, said electric actuator being adapted to move said switch means from the open to the closed position, and means controlled by the actuator for moving said switch means from'the closed position to the open position.

4. In a, flasher, an electric actuator, a circuit for controlling said actuator and including switch means operated by said actuator for energizing the electric actuator when said switch means is open and deenergizing the electric actuator when said switch means is closed, and means for preventing a change in the condition of the circuit until the actuator has reached its limit of movement.

5. In a flasher, an electric actuator, a mechanical actuator, a circuit for controlling the electric actuator and including switch means closed by said electric actuator and opened by said mechanical actuator for changing the condition of said circuit to energize the electric actuator when open and deenergize the electric actuator when closed, and means ior preventing a change in the condition of the circuit until each .actuator has reached its limit of movement.

6. In a iiasher, an electric actuator, a pair of switches controlling the energization and deenergization of said actuator, a switch operator actuated in one direction by said actuator when energized to operate said switches to effect deenergization of'said electric actuator only upon operation of both switches, means for moving said switch operator in the opposite direction to effect reenergization of said actuator, and means for preventing reenergization of said actuator until said switch operator has completed its movement in said opposite direction.

7. In a flasher, a first pair of contacts and a second pair of contacts, an electric actuator, a circuit for controlling said actuator and including said rst and second pairs of contacts, a switch operator controlled by said actuator for first operating said first pair of contacts and then said second pair of contacts when said actuator is energized to effect only upon operation of both said pairs of contacts the deenergization of said actuator, means for moving said switch operator in the opposite direction, and means for preventing operation of said second pair of contacts until said first pair of contacts has been operated by the operator moving in the opposite direction whereby to delay reenergization of said actuator until the operator has completed its movement in the opposite direc ion.

8. In a asher device, a solenoid, two pairs of contacts in series controlling said solenoid and operated in sequence by said solenoid when energized to deenergize the solenoid, means for operating said contacts when said solenoid is deenergized to effect the reenergization of said solenoid, and means for causing simultaneous operation oi said pairs of contacts when said solenoid is deenergized.

9. In a flasher device, a solenoid, a plurality of pairs of contacts operated in succession by said solenoid when energized to eect deenergization of said solenoid, and means having apredetermined period oi. movement following deenergization of said solenoid for simultaneously operating said contacts to effect reenergization of said solenoid.

10. In a device of the character described, a plurality of circuits, one circuit including a solenoid limiting the current flow in said circuit below a predetermined value, a second circuit in shunt with said solenoid and o! lower impedance than said solenoid to render said solenoid ineffective to determine the value of the current flow in the first circuit, said second circuit including a plurality of pairs of switch contacts successively operable to complete said shunt circuit around said solenoid and deenergize said solenoid, and means having a predetermined period of movement for operating said pairs of contacts simultaneously a predetermined period after establishment of said shunt circuit to effect reenergization of said solenoid.

11. In a. device of the character described, a solenoid, a pair of switches, one of said switches being normally urged to closed position when released and the other of said switches being normally urged to open position when released, means normally maintaining said iirst switch in open position and controlled by said solenoid for first releasing said first switch for movement to closed position, then operating said second switch to closed position, then releasing said second switch, and thereafter operating said first switch to open position, said switches being connected in series in a circuit shunting said solenoid to control the energization and deenergization of said solenoid, and a relay in said shunting circuit and energized upon the closure of both switches for retaining the second switch in closed position until the first switch has been reopened,

12. In a flasher, a plurality of circuits, one circuit including an electric actuator, and a second circuit in shunt with said electric actuator and of lower impedance than said electric actuator to deenergize said electric actuator when closed, said second circuit including a pair of switches, a switch operator actuated by said actuator when energized to close said switches and deenergize said actuator when both switches are closed, means for moving said switch operator in the opposite direction to open said switches and effect reenergization of said actuator, and means for preventing reenergization of said actuator until said switch operator has completed its movement in said opposite direction.

HENRY R. GROSS. 

